Humans have always been in the pursuit of health and happiness. The most sought after goal in the health and fitness industry by consumers is to lose subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) (hereinafter also referred to as “SCAT”, “fat”, “body fat”, “storage site”, “[body] fat storage site”) specifically in target areas such as the abdomen/mid-section and hips/thighs. In peoples' quest to lose this fat, they commonly use various tools, instruments, devices, and products to analyze their body fat to see if any lifestyle changes are working to eliminate said fat. With the currently available products on the market, there lacks a device that is easy to use, and is accurate, specific, and has consistency in repeatability in order to deliver the most effective measurements, which can be correlated and analyzed further to determine even further relationships and correlations, to make even more effective decisions towards positively impacting their health.
The most common technology used in consumer-driven devices on the market to measure body fat is Bio-electrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). In BIA systems, a two-electrode configuration is generally used to detect changes in a person's body composition mass.
Although such technology excels at ease-of-use for the consumer, it lacks accuracy and specificity in determining body fat. Another conventional approach includes the use of the “skin-fold” method which measures the thickness of skin and fat at certain sites on the body with a caliper-like device, which is the most specific pertaining to location on the body. Drawbacks to such techniques include a lack of accuracy, repeatability, and ease of use for users.
For example, even when data pertaining to a person's bodily fat is gathered, the information is not readily available such that it provides a user with the ability to accurately interpret the data, thereby enabling the user to make better lifestyle changes and decisions as it relates to their health and fitness goals including decreasing SCAT. When an apparatus that measures overall body fat or overall body fat percentages is utilized to determine the effectiveness of a particular variable, it doesn't give as accurate, credible, or relevant information due to its lack of specificity. For example, if a person were to gain 2 oz of fat in their legs and lose 2 oz of fat in their abdominal area—there would be no overall net change in body fat amount/percentage, although there was a change that occurred.
Additionally, there is evidence to support that the changes in amounts of body fat stored relative to specific locations in the body are be influenced by hormonal changes within the body (refer, e.g., to references 1-25 discussed with reference to FIG. 11). Hormones are the communication medium between organs in the body, and are ultimately the reasons/determining factor in why the human body stores fat and where it will store the fat. Decreasing body fat in a healthy manner for the long-term is only possible if the hormones are in balance. Hormonal imbalances display themselves in multiple ways that can be assessed and measured—so by looking for the related ways the hormonal imbalances show themselves that can be assessed and measured conveniently and non-invasively, we can gain insight into what is going on non-invasively. Such measurements, for example, can be correlated and analyzed further to determine relationships and correlations, which allows a user to make more effective health related decisions that positively impact their health. If we are able to understand what is going on hormonally, we can move one step closer in the process to understanding the true catalyst and its ultimate response on the entire body—allowing the system to address (not overlook) the root-causes of unwanted health variables, and not focusing on addressing the symptoms, which is futile.
Anytime a decision is made to affect the health of a person, it is merely an educated guess. Everything is simply a means of trial and error when trying to create change(s) with our health. For example, the most highly educated experts in the industry (doctors) are merely guessing when they give a client a prescription—they are never 100% certain of what the effects of a certain drug will be with every patient. So if the experts concerning the workings of the human body are making educated guesses when making suggestions on improving health; it is currently the best means we have/industry standard. The problem is that every human body works differently, and a doctor needs to learn how a general human body works to make a better educated guess, however, this generalization rarely applies to the specific scenario. What if each individual was able to learn the unique specifics of how their body worked? They could make more educated/specific determinations affecting their own health (with potentially less adverse effects than the current state of western medicine). We formulate a theory based upon the known knowledge/information that we have available, into which we eventually act upon with the hope of a desired/intended outcome.
Based upon the results of the actions of the previously thought theory, we now have more information in which to base future judgments, theories, and/or decisions off of, with the ability of making a more educated guess based upon the previous experience/information. If every theory in which we base future decisions off of is backed by more [objective] information, we are exponentially capable of making better decisions. And based upon the results of said actions we learn something, or we gather information, which guides the future decisions. In other words—anytime we are trying to make changes to our body, we're merely guessing; but we try to make as educated of a guess as possible in the hope that the decision will be more effective or conducive towards our intent or goal, relative to a less educated guess. Said another way, no matter what we are guessing, we increase our chances of increasing effectiveness the more educated of a guess we can make which is going to be supported with more accurate, relative, and objective data.
As such, there is an ongoing need for an improvement upon current body fat measurement, assessment, and analysis systems (“system” including various apparatuses of various technologies with methods of use for various purposes) with increased usability, accuracy, specificity, repeatability, and data analysis performance.